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Catholic Churches to Ring Bells Daily at 3 p.m.

Churches in the Diocese of Covington will ring their bells for five minutes at 3 p.m. — the hour of Great Mercy — every day throughout the time that public celebration of Mass and the sacraments are suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Bishop Roger Foys, in a letter to priests, instructed pastors to begin the practice of ringing the bells on Wednesday, 25 March, the Feast of the Annunciation. The bells are to remind the faithful that, even though the faithful cannot gather as a community, the Church is in solidarity with them and its priests are still praying for them.

Bishop Foys has instructed his priests to encourage the faithful that when they hear the bells, to offer a prayer for government leaders, healthcare workers, those afflicted with the coronavirus, their families, and for an end to the pandemic.

“I asked that this be done to demonstrate our solidarity during this time and to call us to prayer, wherever we may be, when we hear the bells ringing,” said Bishop Foys. “When you hear the bells, I encourage you to stop for a moment and offer a prayer for an end to this scourge that has overtaken us.”

In the diary of St. Faustina Kowalski, Jesus revealed the hour of 3 o’clock as the hour of Great Mercy. “As often as you hear the clock strike the third hour, immerse yourself completely in My mercy, adoring and glorifying it; invoke its omnipotence for the whole world … for at that moment mercy was opened wide for every soul. In this hour you can obtain everything for yourself and for others for the asking; it was the hour of grace for the whole world — mercy triumphed over justice.” (Diary 1572)